URGENT EVENT: WE NEED YOUR HELP TO OPPOSE BUDGET CUTS

Let Policymakers Know that
Stalemate and Sequestration Are Unacceptable

Please join the Central New York Citizens in Action, nonprofit agencies, and local community groups at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 11 at the Utica Public Library, 303 Genesee St., Downtown Utica (Second Floor, Music Room) to let policy makers know that the budget stalemate is unacceptable and that sequestration must end immediately. We are asking local organizations and agencies to share any impacts you expect will occur on the loss of financial resources for human service programs.  (The library is accessible and elevator service is available to the second floor.  Parking is available in the rear of the building. It is across the street from Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute.)
 
Now that sequestration has become a reality, the effects are coming into sharp focus. Federal departments will be forced to make abrupt, arbitrary cuts to health, education, community action, housing, senior law enforcement, veteran, and other human needs programs.  For months, both sides of the budget battle agreed that sequestration was a last resort because it would cause significant harm and disruption to critical public services and our economy.   Sequestration will have a profound and negative impact on depressed regional economies like the City of Utica, Herkimer, Madison, and Oneida Counties, and Central New York.  

The timing of sequestration could not be worse.  Our local economy is struggling to pull itself out of the recession.   These cuts will results in significant layoffs of health care workers, teachers, and human service workers.   Most importantly, the most vulnerable populations such as children the disabled, aged, families of limited means, and the homeless will suffer the brunt of these cuts in the reduction and possible elimination of services.

If these cuts are allowed to occur, Congress may enact deeper budget cuts and austerity measures that will cripple and threaten the existence of established programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and pensions.  It is important that advocates send a loud and clear message that sequestration and cuts to vital human service programs must stop.

You can make your voice heard on this issue by attending our news conference and speak-out event on the impact of sequestration cuts on local citizens.   Please bring your clients, consumers, and board members and ask them to share their stories of the importance of federally funded programs.   At this event, we will release data showing the impact of sequestration on New York State and Central New York.

Please RSVP to John Furman (cnycitizenaction@gmail.com; 315-725-0974).  Thank you for supporting programs that make a difference in people’s lives.

Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. was developed from the Utica Citizens in Action, a multi-issue public interest association affiliated with Citizen Action of New York.  It was founded in 1997 to address critical social, economic and environmental issues facing residents of Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison Counties.  Members of our group worked to empower low and moderate income Central New York residents to participate in shaping the policies that affect their lives, such as economic justice, environment, housing, education, economic development, health care, public benefit programs, and consumer issues.   Our projects include research and policy development, public education on a wide range of public policy issues, development of educational materials, community outreach and grassroots organizing, coalition development, training, and lobbying.  Please join our email list by sending an email to cnycitizenaction@gmail.com with the subject heading – Join List.